Fox Mystery Theater (TV Series) The Late Nancy Irving (1984) User Reviews

Anaemic!

[analoguebubblebath · 6/10 · 9 October 2003]

First viewing: October 1984 / Second viewing: October 2003

Cristina Raines gives an anaemic performance as a professional golfer who has the misfortune to belong to an extremely rare blood group. When taken prisoner as a blood slave in a sinister clinic - reminiscent of the one that appeared in `Armchair Thriller: The Limbo Connection' back in 1978. The mind will wander in this one as the somewhat contrived plot plays out - however the tables are turned somewhat in a bittersweet climax. Incidentally her fiance is played by Simon Williams (another "Upstairs Downstairs" actor). Not the best `Hammer House Of Mystery And Suspense' episode - but one that possesses a certain chilling quality. 6/10

Clever story marred by a weak lead and thrown together ending

[clwyd-92205 · 7/10 · 16 February 2019]

The basic premise of The Late Nancy Irving is solid and genuinely creepy. An American professional golfer is kidnapped and awakens in some weird and posh medical clinic. Initially believing she is there due to an automobile accident, she begins to fathom that things are not what they seem, and something sinister is afoot. All the makings of a classic bit of horror are in place, but unfortunately don't quite come together.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the actress playing the lead role of Nancy (Cristina Raines) just isn't very compelling in the role. She's adequate in the pre-clinic scenes of the episode, but isn't able to carry the episode once she's had her "accident." The scenes of paranoia and suspicion fall a bit flat.

In a similar vein, "Mr. Big" (no spoilers) in the story is also a little "meh." Suitably evil, but not very menacing. It might have been better to keep him almost entirely hidden but for the necessary medical scenes (again, no spoilers).

On a more positive note, the supporting cast are generally quite good. Mick Ford is exceptional as fellow "patient" Tony Graham, and SPACE:1999 alums Tony Anholt and the always reliable Zienia Merton give solid performances as Dr. Marquis and Nurse Lee Parquet. There's a nice bit of depth to the two characters, blending in a bit of grey with the black and white of what is going on in the clinic.

Some people might not enjoy the deliberate pacing of the plot, which I thought worked well in slowly building tension. Most would probably agree that the ending is a little too neat and pat to be effective. The intent was probably to distinguish between the truly evil and the folks who did evil because they felt they had to, but it is an emotional letdown.

6.6/10.

Great concept but a dull execution!

[manchester_england2004 · 4/10 · 20 February 2010]

In a strange turn of events, I actually agree with the other reviewer - Paul English - on this one. This is indeed anemic.

THE LATE NANCY IRVING is one of the lesser episodes of the HAMMER HOUSE OF MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE series.

The TV series in question was a combination of hits and misses. Some episodes had wonderful concepts but became bogged down in very boring 1980s drama styles, with upper middle-class characters exchanging boring dialogue with each other. Most 1980s drama in Britain was executed along these lines. On the other hand, some episodes of this TV series were genuine exercises in suspense, tension and genuine horror. Sadly, THE LATE NANCY IRVING is an example of the former. Examples of the latter include IN POSSESSION (by far the best), THE CORVINI INHERITANCE and A DISTANT SCREAM.

The plot is as follows - a professional American golfer is on tour in England. Following a car crash, she wakes up in a strange hospital. All is not what it seems. She finds herself restricted and it soon becomes apparent something strange is happening. It later transpires that she has been declared dead.

The plot is certainly compelling and highly unique.

Whilst the story does much to focus on sinister characters and situations, it is also cluttered with incredibly dull conversations. The build-up to the crash is particularly dull and lacks anything of interest.

Some moments of suspense are finally unleashed. Unfortunately, they come too late into the story and fail to save the viewing experience of the whole product from being a waste of time.

The ending is very predictable, with no surprises in store.

In an unusual turn of events for this series, the acting in this episode is incredibly uninspired. The lead actress - Cristina Raines - gives a particularly dull performance that is light years away from those of Carol Lynley, Jan Francis and Stephanie Beacham in other episodes.

The character played by Marius Goring is certainly one of the lamest committed to celluloid and whilst his intentions were just about believable, his way of bringing them about just defied any logic whatsoever.

Ironically, the director of this particular atrocity has done much better work. Indeed, Peter Sasdy directed the VISITOR FROM THE GRAVE episode of the other Hammer TV series, HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR. Now that story was truly scary and his direction there was on top form.

All I can assume where THE LATE NANCY IRVING is concerned is that Mr. Sasdy signed on the dotted line with the best of intentions but sadly found himself restricted by the dire screenplay.

Overall, THE LATE NANCY IRVING is not the worst episode of the series. It showed some promise of a good story but the atrocious script and slow pacing held it back. I do not recommend this episode. Instead, watch IN POSSESSION and see something that is truly scary and suspenseful.

It's your funeral...

[canndyman · 8/10 · 30 January 2022]

This is a good, solid entry in this enjoyable series, and definitely one of my favorites.

It concerns famous American golfer Nancy Irving, who's on tour in England. When her British boyfriend collects her from the airport, the couple are unaware they are being tailed by a mysterious man in a car behind them - and he continues to follow Nancy when her boyfriend is called abroad for a business trip.

Without giving too much away for anyone who's yet to see this episode, Nancy is diabetic, and also has an extremely rare blood type - so much so that she could come to harm from desperate people for desperate measures...

This one is quite slow starting, but becomes very tense once we realize the danger Nancy is in - and wonder how she's ever going to escape from it.

As ever, it makes good use of locations - I believe this was also the first episode of Hammer House of Mystery & Suspense to be completed, being filmed in early December 1983.

Space 1999 fans (such as me!) will be intrigued to see Tony Anholt and Zienia Merton reunited here as a doctor and nurse respectively - and there's also an appearance from Mick Ford of 'Scum' fame.

Marius Goring also makes a Hammer return, having previously been seen in an episode of Hammer House of Horror.

As I say, it's quite a slow-burner, although the story builds really well as we get into the final third and head towards the climax. It's certainly a highly-original and intriguing story - with the viewer hoping that the beleaguered Nancy will somehow get rescued from her ghastly fate...

Very scary

[ctyankee1 · 29 December 2018]

This is about a golfer who is well known and has a lot of fans. She has diabetes and had a couple of bad episodes She ends up in hospital not known to her after a car crash. Hospital staff tell her about the hospital and the reason she is there because of the car accident. It was her boyfriends new car and he is in another country. She also has a rare blood type.The media thinks she is dead and she sees this on TV. She gave the doctors names and phone numbers to contact her friends before she see the announcement on TV that she is dead. Her boy loves her and cannot forget about her. Nancy is kept as a prisoner in the hospital for a specific reason. She can't leave the room the doctor and nurse keep giving her drugs, there are bars on her window and more. She starts to think something bad is going on.

Considering the suspense and the length of the movie it does not give a better ending to all that Nancy has been through and all the scary moments we endured for to many minutes. I don't think I will watch a Hammer House Mystery it was not like most mysteries.

Respecting blood donors. You're doing it wrong!

[Coventry · 4/10 · 3 May 2022]

Although only having seen three (in a total of thirteen) very average episodes of "Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense" thus far, I think it's fair to state I know what the series' main and overall shortcoming is. The episodes are far too long for the very thin storylines they are showcasing. Every short film in this series has a running time of approximately 70-75 minutes. That's as long as the made-for-TV horror & suspense movies of the 1970s (the famous "ABC Movies of the Week") but with only half - or even less, sometimes - of the thrills and subject matter covered.

"The Late Nancy Irving" felt even more like a sore disappointment than the previous two episodes I watched, because the plot holds so much awesome potential and yet so very little is done with it. Nancy Irving is a famous female golf player who has an extremely rare blood type in addition to a condition of diabetes. After fainting at the golf course, she receives the medical advice to take it slow for a while. When her husband is away for business, Nancy is lured into a fake road accident and taken to a sinister private hospital in the countryside... but not for the treatment she thinks! The story reminded me of those glorious mad-scientist movies of the late 50s and early 60s, in which innocent and defenseless women are kidnapped and used as organ, brain or skin donors for the disfigured wives/daughters of the desperate scientist. You know, classics such as "Eyes without a Face", "The Awful Dr. Orloff" or "Circus of Horrors". Unfortunately, only the plot is vaguely similar, and this short film can't hold a candle to any of the aforementioned titles.

Most upsetting about "The Late Nancy Irving" is how awfully long it takes before the obvious (since the start) plot-twist gets revealed, and how dreadfully tame the big finale is. More than an hour is wasted on unnecessary mystery-building, but in the end none of the 'villains' puts up a half-decent fight. There's only one true highlight in the film, and that's the cynically spoken final line by the lead heroine.

This was nasty.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 7 December 2023]

Nancy Irving arrives in The UK to settle down with her British husband, a retired golfer, and a diabetic. After a road accident, Nancy wakes up inside a hospital, but isn't allowed visitors, and isn't allowed out of her room.

Once you work out what's going on, this episode really does come together, of the few I've seen so far, this is easily the best of them yet.

It does have you on edge, the ending is particularly tense, you truly have no idea whether Nancy will escape or not, it's very well done.

A particularly nasty and bleak tale, once it clicks, and you learn what fate awaits Nancy, it's an uncomfortably satisfying moment.

How unusual, a show from the 1980s featuring a professional female golfer, nice that she's the pro, and not her husband.

Christina Raines and Simon Williams are both good, I liked Marius Goring and Tony Anholt.

8/10.